Fixing bridles



K. M'U'HLEGG FIXING BRIDLEs July 25, 1961 Filed June '7,v 1957 KURT MUHLEGG INVENTOR 2,993,256 Ice Patented July 25, 196l 2,993,2'56 FIXING BRIDLES Kurt Miihlegg, Wynau, Switzerland, assignor to Hermann Lanz `A.-G., Murgenthal, Switzerland Filed 'June 7, 1957, Ser. No. 664,421 4 Claims. (Cl. 24-278) The present invention relates to a fixing bridle, which comprises a flexible band for embracing the article to be fixed and a tghtening device for this band.

This fixing bridle is characterized according to the invention in that said tghtening device comprises two tightening pieces, which are slidably arranged one in the other and formed with openings for the passage of the ends of the embracing band, and a tghtening member associated with said tghtening pieces, the whole arrangement being such that when the ends of the band embracing the article to be fixed have been inserted from opposite sides through the two tghtening pieces while the tghtening member has not been tightened and the tghtening member is then tightened the latter will first flex the end portions of the band towards the article to be fixed and will then pull the inner tghtening piece away from said article so as to tighten the embracing band.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows the fixing bridle as applied to a pipe,

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the pipe bridle on a larger scale, and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views showing a tightening device of the pipe bridle in two different positions.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a indicates a pipe to be fixed by a pipe bridle. This pipe bridle comprises a flexible metal band b, which embraces the pipe and extends through the apertured limbs of the U-shaped head of a fixing pin c. This embracing band b has associated with it Ya tghtening device, which comprises two tghtening pieces d and e of U-shaped cross-section, which are arranged one in the other and two opposite side portions of which have transverse openings, through which the ends of the embracing band b can be stuck. The transverse portion of the smaller clamping piece d has a threaded hole for a tghtening screw f and the transverse portion of the larger tghtening piece e has a hole which corresponds to the head of this screw.

While the screw f has not yet been inserted the ends of the embracing band b are inserted from opposite sides through the apertured side portions of the two tghtening pieces d and e extending towards the pipe, as is shown in FIG. 3. When the screw f is then tightened the end portions of the band will first be flexed towards the pipe a (see FIG. 4) whereby they are clamped so that they can no longer be pulled apart. Further tghtening the screw f Will pull the smaller tghtening piece d towards the screw head, whereby the embracing band b is tightened, as is shown in FIG. l.

The outer tghtening piece a consists suitably of a cover having four side walls which are at right angles to each other, whereas the lower tghtening piece d consists of a U-shaped member.

What is claimed is:

1. A clamping device comprising a flexible band having two ends, said band being Iadapted to embrace an article, an inner and an outer tghtening piece, said inner tghtening piece being slidably arranged in the outer tghtening piece, each of said tghtening pieces having side portions with openings therein completely surrounded by the material of the pieces, the lower portion of the openings in said outer tghtening piece being aligned with lthe openings in the inner tghtening piece, said openings being adapted to receive the ends of said band therethrough from opposite sides thereof, and a tghtening member joining said tghtening pieces for first moving relative to said tghtening pieces to flex said ends of said band toward the article when the band has been applied around the article and said ends have been inserted through said openings, and simultaneously moving said tghtening pieces relative to each other to pull the inner tghtening piece away from said article to tighten the band, the openings in the outer tghtening piece having a greater height than the openings in the inner tghtening piece so that the top edges of the openings in the outer tghtening piece will be located above the lower edges of the openings in the inner tghtening piece at all times during the Operation of the tghtening member.

2. A clamping device as claimed in claim 1 in which said tghtening pieces each comprise a transverse portion Varranged remote from said article in the operative position of the clamping device and said side portions extend from the ends of 'said transverse portion towards said article in said operative position, the transverse portion of said inner tghtening piece having a threaded hole therein and the transverse portion of said outer tghtening piece having a hole therein larger in diameter than said threaded hole, and said tghtening member consisting of a screw longer than the distance -from the level of said aligned openings to the transverse portion of said outer tghtening piece and extending freely through said larger hole and in threaded engagement with said threaded hole.

3. Tightening means for tghtening a flexible band having two ends and adapted to be applied around an article to be clamped, |said tghtening means comprising an inner and an outer tghtening piece, said inner tghtening piece being slidably arranged in the outer tghtening piece, each of said tghtening pieces having side portions with openings therein completely surrounded by the material of the pieces, the lower portion of the openings in said outer tghtening piece being aligned with the openings in the inner tghtening piece, said openings being for receiving the ends of the band therethrough from opposite sides thereof, and a single tghtening member joining said tghtening pieces for first moving relative to said tghtening pieces to flex said ends of said band toward the article to be fixed when the band has been applied around the article and said ends have been inserted through said openings, and simultaneously moving said tghtening pieces relative to each other to pull the inner tghtening piece yaway from said -article to tighten the band, the openings in the outer tghtening piece having a greater height than the openings in the inner tghtening piece so that the top edges of the openings in the outer tghtening piece will be located above the lower edges of the openings in the inner tghtening piece at all times during the Operation of the tghtening member.

4. Tightening means as claimed in claim 3 in which said tghtening pieces each comprise a transverse portion arranged remote from said article in the operative position of the tighteningmeans and said side portions extend from the ends of said transverse portion towards said article in said operative position, the transverse portion of said inner tghtening piece having a threaded hole therein and the transverse portion of said outer tghtening piece having a hole therein larger in diameter than said threaded hole, and said tghtening member consisting of a screw longer 3 `'than the "distance from theilevel of said aligned openngs .to the transverse portion of said outer tightening piece and extending freely through said larger hole and in threaded engagement with said th'readed hole.

1,0S3,684 Vogel Feb. 18, 1913 i 4 Tresidder Dec. 16, `'1952 Calder Mar. 30, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria June 25, 1935 France Mar. 2, 1936 France Apr. 15, 1953 France Nov. 9, 1955 

